Night fell on the dark streets of Seattle. There was yet another brown out and Logan's apartment was lit up by hundreds of candles. For once it wasn't raining as Logan stared out at the dark streets, wondering where Max was and if she was alright.
It didn't seem fair. He had only just got her back and Manticore had found yet another way to take her from him. He continuously tried to find of cure or someone who might know of a cure to save his Dark Angel. After much debating with himself, Logan saw no other choice. There was once person who could help. She might not be able to cure Max, but she could certainly help Max through this one way or another.
He would wait until morning to make the call. That way he could be sure to catch her at home. Feeling some relief at being able to do something to help at last, Logan went to bed. Not that he would be able to sleep, but he could rest. Tomorrow would be a big day and already it seemed full of promise.
Max couldn't help herself. Her head was full of thoughts of Logan. They had got so close to actually having a real life together and Manticore had screwed it up for her again. As hard as she tried not to feel sorry for herself and wallow in self pity, she couldn't help it. Everything she had ever wanted and everyone she had ever loved just seemed to be snatched away from her.
It was rare for Max to sleep, but she had been doing a lot of exactly that just lately. She seemed to need it just to get through the day. Original Cindy had been watching her like a mother hen. Although Max appreciated her friend caring about her so much, she didn't want to drag Cindy into her problems. This was not a problem she wanted to share, which was why she was trying to keep her distance from Logan. That was proving to be harder than she had thought it would be.
It had been so much easier back when the only person Max had cared about was herself. Back when her only purpose in life was to keep herself alive and look for her family. It had really thrown a spanner in the works when she had met Logan while trying to rob him. Then it had become even more complicated when she realized that she was in love with him. "Life wasn't meant to be this hard." She muttered to herself as she turned in for the night.
"No offense girl, but you don't look so hot." Original Cindy reached out and touched Max's forehead. "You certainly feel hot though. Why don't you go back to bed. Not even Normal's gonna dispute that you're ill."
Max shook her head which only served to make her feel dizzy. "No. I've got to keep busy, besides I can't afford to keep taking time off work. I don't want to alarm Jondy by keep asking her to sign Doctor's notes for me."
Original Cindy looked at Max in disbelief. "You haven't told Jondy you're sick. Did it ever occur to you that she and Devon might be able to help?"
Max had considered exactly that, but considering her virus was created by Manticore, she didn't think her sister could help this time. "It's not as though I have the flu that she can prescribe aspirin for. She can't help this time." She stood slowly in an attempt to stop the room from spinning. "Come on, we're going to be late for work."
When Max opened the door, Rafer was standing outside hand raised to knock on the door. "Ladies. Need a ride to work?"
"Sounds good to me." Max took one step forward before everything turned black and she crumpled into a heap in Rafer's arms.
"How long's she been like this?" Rafer swung Max into his arms and started walking down the hallway. "She looks as though she should have been in a hospital weeks ago."
Original Cindy slammed the apartment door shut and raced after him. "You can't take her to a hospital." When Rafer kept on walking Cindy realized she needed some help explaining things when they got to the hospital. "At least let me call someone and let them know where you're taking her."
Rafer looked at Original Cindy as though she were insane. "Fine. My cell phone's in my back picket, but can you open the ambulance doors for me first."
Original Cindy opened the doors and grabbed the phone as Rafer climbed into the ambulance and settled Max on a stretcher. Quickly she dialed Logan's number as she climbed in the back of the ambulance and shut the doors. Rafer had put an oxygen mask on Max and had strapped her in. "Come on Logan. Pick up that damn phone." The sound of the ambulance sirens was almost deafening. So much so that Cindy barely registered Logan's phone had been picked up. "Hello?" The voice she had heard on the other end sounded female. She checked the number she had dialed on the cell phone screen.. Right number. Wrong voice. "Is Logan there?"
"May I say who's calling?" The voice sounded inquisitive.
"No you may not." The urgency of the situation disguarded any patience Cindy had. "This is an emergency, just get me Logan."
"Hello?" Logan's voice came on the line quickly as though he had grabbed the phone off of whomever had answered.
"Logan, it's Cindy. Max collapsed at the apartment. We're heading for the hospital." Original Cindy reached out and took hold of Max's hand. "Before you say anything, it wasn't my idea to take her to the hospital. Rafer was there when she collapsed."
Logan had to think quickly. "What hospital are you heading for?"
Original Cindy leaned forward and repeated Logan's question. "Metro Medical. You know someone there?"
"Make sure the only Doctor that sees her is Sam Clark." Logan had a feeling it might be able to buy them some time. "I'll get there as soon as I can. I've got to make a phone call to San Francisco."
"Don't worry. I've got Max's back." Original Cindy relaxed a little. All she had to do was stick to Max's side until Logan got there. She couldn't help but wonder who the woman was that answered the phone.
Jondy groaned as her mobile rang out in the quiet of her dark room. Rolling over, she grabbed the phone as she and her companion fell out of the bed onto the floor. "What!" She snapped into the phone. Her tone softened when she heard Logan's voice. "Oh, hi Logan. Can I call you back?" It was a bit hard to concentrate on what Logan was saying when she had someone kissing her neck. She certainly heard the three little words Logan uttered down the phone 'Max is sick'. "Devon!" She moved the phone away from her mouth so that she wouldn't deafen Logan.
Devon raced into the room. An amused look crossed his face when he saw Jondy tangled up on the floor in a mass of bed sheets and whomever the guy was. "Need help?"
Jondy handed her phone to Devon. "Talk to Logan and get all the details will you? We have to go visit one of my sisters for a few days." She wrapped a bed sheet around herself and untangled herself from her friend. "I'll go and put something more practical on."
Devon nodded and left the room talking to Logan on the phone as he closed the door behind him.
"Sorry. Family emergency Gavin." She apologized to the man still tangled up and confused on the floor. "I don't know how long we'll be gone." She pulled some clothes on.
Gavin stood and wrapped a sheet around his waist, just in case Devon came back in. He walked over to the petite redhead and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're close to your family then?" He nuzzled her neck.
Jondy nodded as she pulled her hair into a clip at the base of her neck, still keeping her barcode covered. "Especially this particular sister." She turned and kissed him goodbye. "I'll call you when I get back." She grabbed a bag out of her closet that she kept packed and raced out the door, leaving a stunned Gavin standing in the middle of the room.
Jondy threw her bag into the back of the car and climbed into the passenger seat beside Devon. "What did Logan say was wrong with Max?" She knew it had to be bad for Logan to have called her.
Devon started the car up and pulled out onto the road. "Manticore gave her some sort of virus. Logan was calling on his way to the hospital. Max is in critical condition and her room is being guarded. Better call the others. We can't help her if we can't get near her."
Jondy started dialing the numbers she had memorized. "Just another family reunion." She muttered as she listened to the ringing over the phone. She grinned when she heard the voice on the other end. "Hi, it's me. How soon can you get to Seattle?" She waited for an answer. "Great. Meet us at this address." She gave her caller Logan's address and hung up.
Devon ran through the details Logan had given him in his head. This was not going to be easy, even with the help of a load of X5's.
"Sam. Why are there guards outside her room." Logan was frantic. Max was too ill to move without medical help and the guards were watching everyone who went in and out of her room. "It's not as though she's dangerous. She's not even conscious."
"Logan. I booked Max into a room, did some tests and when I came back to check on her, the guards were here." Sam looked around him. "What the hell is going on with this girl, Logan.' Sam kept his voice to a whisper. "First you have things in your blood that shouldn't be there. Then you get out of a wheelchair which shouldn't be possible. Now I have a patient that has feline DNA. Care to explain that to me?"
"No." Logan didn't have time for this. Jondy had to be close by and he had to find a way to get Max out of there. "Trust me Sam. You're safer not knowing." In his haste to get to Max, Logan bumped into a blind man with a German Shepherd Guide Dog. "I'm sorry."
"No problem." The man was in his early twenty's with dark hair down to the collar of his shirt. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and made his expression unreadable. "I'm trying to find Original Cindy."
"She's right in this room." Logan moved towards the guarded door. "I'm going in there now. Why don't you come with me." He held his arm out so that the blind man could use him as a guide. Following a nurse into the room, they made their way past the guards.
Once the door had closed behind them, the nurse turned around to reveal she was Jondy. "Come on. We have to move quickly."
Original Cindy gave the petite redhead a hug. "Boy, am I glad to see you. I see you didn't get rid of the uniform. Damn girl. How the hell did you get into that outfit."
Jondy chuckled. "I got Zane here to pour me into it." She walked over to the window and opened it." She walked over to the window and opened it. "Time to leave." She quickly flicked through Max's medical chart and then tossed it to Zane, who had removed the dark glasses and shoved them in the backpack he had hidden under his coat.
"Is she alright to move." He pulled a pair of black jeans and a sweat shirt out of the pack and tossed them to his sister.
Jondy slipped the jeans on underneath the nurse's uniform and then undid the uniform and shoved it in the pack. "We can't leave her here. The Doctors don't understand her blood work and we don't know who the guards are or who sent them."
Original Cindy walked towards the door. "I think it's time I go and get a cup of coffee. Something tells me, I don't want to witness what you guys are up to."
Logan caught sight of Devon, Krit and Syl on a window cleaning ledge being lowered outside the window. "Good idea. Can you get me one as well?"
"Sure." Cindy walked out of the room and past the guards, oblivious to what was happening outside of the room.
"How are you with heights?" Zane slapped Logan on the back as he moved forward to help ease a stretcher in the window.
"I'm getting better. Why?" Logan wrapped Max up in the blankets from the hospital bed and lifted her over to the stretcher while Jondy carried the drip bag.
"You get to take the express route down." Krit grinned at Logan as he helped Devon position the stretcher on the cleaning ledge.
Syl took the drip bag off of Jondy and reposition herself so that Zane's dog could fit on as well.
Devon noticed the worried look on Logan's face. "Don't worry. Max has got the easy way down. We'll met you at the bottom."
Krit worked the pulley cables and lowered the ledge slowly past the window. "See you down there."
"Let's go." Zane helped his sister put the back pack on before removing a second pack from under his jacket and three harnesses. "Ready to go?" He handed Logan a harness.
"We're climbing down the outside of the building? Are you guys nuts?" Logan didn't know if he could do this. He didn't get a chance to dispute it as Jondy grabbed the harness and put it on him.
"We don't have time to argue about this." She slipped into her own harness. "Your Doctor friend is about to walk into this room. I'm betting he's going to want to know where his patient has gone and so are those guards." She lent out the window and grabbed the three ropes hanging outside. "Come on. I'll walk you through it." She snapped her gear onto one rope and then helped Logan.
Zane moved onto the window sill and then out of the window, after connecting himself onto the third rope. He dangled just below the window and helped Jondy get Logan out. "If we're gonna do this, it's gotta be now." He could hear the door opening.
Jondy swung out of the window and pulled it closed behind her. She managed to just get out of view when the door opened. Quickly she showed Logan how to operate his gear. "Let's go." She could see Logan was panicked. "Hey. It's easy. Zane will be just below you and I'll be right beside you." She looked him straight in the eye. "You can do this. I know you can. Just don't look down."
Logan shut his eyes for a second. Armed with grim determination he started to ease himself down the side of the building.
Original Cindy walked back inside the hospital room to find Max and the others gone and the Doctor being questioned by the guards. "What the hell have you done to my friends?" Cindy had a pretty good idea what had happened, but figured she had better try and stall the guards.
Sam glanced over at her. "I came in to check on your friend and everyone was gone." He glared at the guards. "What the hell is going on here?"
The guards turned silently and walked out of the room. Original Cindy strolled over to the window and looked out in time to see Zane, Jondy and Logan make it to the ground and climb into a van. She grinned to herself as she turned to find the shocked Doctor still staring at the empty room. She held out the cup of coffee she had fetched for Logan. "Coffee?"
Logan sat stroking Max's hair. This was as bad as when she had died in his arms. He looked over at Devon and Jondy who were going through the medical files and charts. "Can you save her?"
Jondy brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "We've got to stabilize her first Logan. At the moment we have no idea what Manticore had done to her."
Devon reached out to brace himself as the van went around a corner. "At the moment we just have to try and find a way to get Max back on her feet. We'll work the rest out later."
"Who's the woman staying at your place, Logan." Syl had been surprised to see a woman who obviously wasn't Logan's sister open the door to his apartment.
Logan ran his hand across his face. "Sorry. I forgot to warn you about her. She's an old friend." He was exhausted and the suspicious looks that he was getting from the X5's wasn't helping. "I still have all the equipment you, Bling and Max stole. I was actually considering charging you rent." He tried to make a joke but he was too worried about Max.
Jondy nodded. "Have you got enough room for all of us to crash at your place or shall I call Original Cindy?"
Logan hadn't expected the extra three X5's. "You don't sleep and I figured Devon could take my room and I can take the couch. I'll call Original Cindy and see if it's alright for Krit, Syl and Zane to stay with her."
"Sounds fine with me." Krit waited for the van to stop before leaping out and grabbing one end of the stretcher while Zane took the other end.
Logan glanced down at Jondy as they waited for the lift to reach Logan's floor. "What did I interrupt when I phoned." He chuckled at the puzzled look on the tiny redhead's face. "You sounded as though you were in the middle of something when you answered the phone."
Devon burst out laughing. "More like she was in the middle of someone." Tears were running down his face, he was laughing so hard. "You should have seen the scene I walked in on."
"I am entitled to have a life, you know." Jondy protested. She glared at Devon. "Don't think I didn't notice you checking him out either."
The lift stopped on the floor beneath Logan's and the doors slid open. Everyone crowded together so that Max couldn't be seen. Zane's German Shepherd sat himself in front of Jondy and started growling. The man in front of the lift took a step back.
Jondy flashed him an award winning smile. "I'm sorry, this one's full. Would you mind taking the next one?"
The man smiled back while casting Jondy an admiring glance. "Sure. No problem." His smile faded when Zane moved in front of his sister a grim look on his face.
The lift doors closed and reopened on the next floor. "Do you have to be so friendly?" Zane scolded Jondy. "You don't need anymore unwanted attention."
Logan walked in front of them and opened the door to his apartment. They sounded like any typical brother and sister, but few brothers and sisters could scale the outside of a high rise building. He gestured to the room where all the equipment was set up.
Max hadn't moved a fraction since he had got to the hospital. He kept hoping that she would open her eyes so that she would know that he was there with her.
Jondy reached out and squeezed Logan's hand. "She knows you're with her." She waited for Krit and Zane to carefully move Max onto the examination table before going into the room. "The first thing we have to do is get Max's temperature down."
"Let us know what you need and we'll go and get it." Krit picked up a pad and pen and handed it to Devon. "We'll split up. That way we'll be quicker, but harder to track."
Syl and Zane look over Krit's shoulder as he read through the list. Syl pointed to a few things on the list. "I'll get these. I know a place close by." She headed for the door.
Zane broke the list down further. As his dog started to follow him he stopped. "No. You stay with Jondy. She needs you more than I do at the moment." The dog walked over to Jondy and sat down at her feet. "Stay out of trouble little sister." Zane followed Syl out the door with Krit.
Bling smiled at Jondy. "He's very protective of you. Sort of reminds me of how Zack was with Max." He glanced over at Max. "What can I do to help?"
"I need a basin of water and a wash cloth." Jondy reached down and stroked the German Shepherd's head. "We'll have to start this the old fashioned way until the others get back."
Bling nodded and went to get what she needed.
Devon took Max's pulse and blood pressure. "It's going to be a long night. I know Max is a fighter, but whatever she has seems pretty savage."
Logan pulled a seat up beside the examination table and took hold of Max's hand. "I'm not going anywhere."
Jondy grabbed a chair and sat down beside Logan. "What are you going to tell your friend?" She didn't know this friend of Logan's and that made her uneasy. Especially considering those guards had appeared out of nowhere. "She might start to ask questions about your little hospital in here." She let her hair loose out of the clip and ran her fingers through her long red locks. "Ahhh freedom." She giggled at the look on his face.
"You don't like restraints of any sort do you?" Logan laughed as she shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to tell Asha. Guess the best bet is to keep her out of this room for starters." He removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. "I'd try to pass you all off as cousins but Asha's known me long enough to see right through that. There's no way the Cale family could keep that many relatives hidden."
Jondy stretched out her limbs, looking every inch feline. She never could stand being trapped in a car or any confined space for too long. "So tell her your almost future in laws have descended on you. You have managed to farm some of them off to Original Cindy." She frowned. "It's a pity Asha's not a man. Men love me. Women hate me on sight." She shook her head. "You know, I'm so misunderstood."
Logan laughed at Jondy's joking attempt at self pity. "I'm glad you came. I have no idea how to fix this." He held up his hand to stop her before she could correct him. "I know you don't have a cure, but you and Devon have a better chance of helping Max than anyone." "Don't you leave me again."
"She told me you wrote a poem about her." Jondy rested her hand on Logan's shoulders. "It helped her get through her incaseration at Manticore."
Bling waked back in the room with the basin of water and washcloth. "I was going to get some groceries and something for dinner. Any requests?"
Jondy took the basin and cloth from him and handed them to Logan. "We're not really picky eaters, just get enough to feed an army." She started flicking through the medical charts and files again.
Bling fetched a towel, a pad and a pen. He had seen Jondy go into research mode before and he pretty much guessed what she had wanted the water and cloth for. Handing the towel to Logan, he explained what to do. "You've got to bring Max's temperature down. You don't want her to get chill so wipe her skin with the damp wash cloth but then dry her skin with the towel."
"Got it. Thanks." Logan gently bathed Max's hot shin the way Bling had told him while Devon worked silently beside him.
Bling watched Jondy stretch out on the floor and the German Shepherd lay down beside her. He placed the pad and pen in front of her as he walked out of the room closing the door behind him.
Asha walked into the living room, a cup of coffee in each hand. She was sure she had heard Logan come in. "Logan?"
"He's busy. What do you want?" Asha turned to find a well built young man with dark hair and brown eyes standing before her. She hadn't heard him walk into the room.
"It's alright Zane. She's an old family friend." Logan appeared from one of the rooms. "Asha, this is Zane. He's a friend's brother."
Asha handed Logan his coffee and reached out to shake Zane's hand. "A pleasure to meet you. Will you be staying long in Seattle?"
Instead of answering her question or shaking her hand, Zane tossed his pack to someone behind her. Asha glanced over her shoulder to see a stunning redhead behind her. Asha wasn't sure who these people were, but they were incredibly light footed. "I didn't realize you were expecting so many friends, Logan." When she looked back over at Logan, she saw the blond girl and the dark haired young man who had come to the apartment that morning. "So, are you all related?"
"Yeah." Syl walked straight passed Asha and followed Jondy into the room where Max was. "Hey little sister, when do we eat."
Krit looked Asha up and down, but was clearly unimpressed. He too walked into the back room. "Yeah, I could do with some food."
Zane was still watching Asha. It was clear to Logan that the X5 didn't trust her. "Zane. Your sister needs you. Bling went to get dinner. He'll be back soon." Logan waited until Zane had left the room. 'They're not big talkers." He hastily explained. "Thanks for the coffee." He turned and disappeared into the same room as the others.
"What the hell is going on here?" Asha muttered under her breath. Walking towards the door, she was stopped short back the largest German Shepherd she had ever seen. She took a couple of steps backwards when it started growling. "Nice doggie. Alright. Maybe I don't need to know what's going on here."
Bling walked into the apartment to find Asha slowly backing away from Zane's dog. "Stay out of there Asha, if you know what's good for you." He reached over the dog and knocked on the door. "Grubs up!" He walked over to the table and started to unpack a few of the groceries. When he heard the door open, he looked up to see Krit. "There's more groceries in the van. Would you mind?"
"Sure." Krit caught the keys to the van that Bling tossed him. "Zane. Want to give me a hand."
Zane walked out of the room and followed Krit without a word.
"Logan, go and get something to eat." Jondy gently tugged his arm. "You won't do Max any good if you get sick as well." She gestured to Devon to take Logan out of the room. "I'll stay with Max."
Logan knew she was right. "What about you? Aren't you going to get something to eat?" He was stalling and he could tell from the amused look on Jondy's face that she knew it. Jondy smiled at Logan. "Zane will bring something in for me." She looked over at the door as Zane walked in with a plate of food for her, right on cue. "See."
Devon gently shoved Logan ahead of him. "Come on Logan. You don't want to leave your friend eating with a load of X5's. The poor girl will starve."
Zane sat down beside Jondy and handed her the plate. He waited until the door had closed behind Logan before speaking to his sister. "How bad is this Jondy?" He knew his sister well enough to know this virus that Max had was complex enough to puzzle Jondy. "You don't know how to fix this, do you?"
Jondy rubbed the back of her neck. She was surrounded on the floor by sheets of paper. "I have a few ideas how to slow it down, but no. I don't have an immediate cure. The thing is, I can't even slow it down if we can't get her temperature down."
Zane started to massage her shoulders. "Tell us what to do. How can we help?"
Jondy glanced at the closed door. "Once we get Max's temperature down I want Max to get a complete blood transfusion. Devon agrees that's the best place to start. I don't trust Asha so would you mind keeping your dog guarding the door?" She looked up at her brother. "You know I usually doze off when I give blood."
Zane nodded. "No problem. Will the four of us be able to give Max enough blood?"
"Five." Jondy corrected him. "I'll want to test Logan's blood first, just in case he has contracted some of the virus. Max gave him a blood transfusion last year, so we should be able to use his blood."
Zane kissed his sister on the top of the head. "Get some food into you. We'll take shifts keeping an eye on Max. We can start donating blood in the morning. With any luck Max's temperature will be down by then." He stood and went to join the others.
Logan sat with his elbows resting on the edge of the examination table, his head in his hands waiting for Max to wake up. The apartment was so quite, too quiet. Devon had gone too get some sleep, Jondy was in the living room stretching her limbs and giving Logan a few moments alone with Max. Zane, Krit and Syl had gone back to Original Cindy's place so that they could get some sleep. Zane had insisted that his dog stay guarding his sisters.
"You know this sleeping beauty routine you've got going is starting to get old." Logan took hold of Max's hand. He didn't even know if he were really speaking to break the awful silence or in hope that Max would answer back. "I never realized that Zane would be so protective towards Jondy. I guess it should have been obvious considering how many similar traits you and Jondy have. They sort of remind me of you and Zack, only Zane doesn't get jealous every time some guy gets near Jondy." He waited for a response that didn't come. "You can't keep giving me the silent treatment, you don't have it in you not to bite back."
"Logan." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She struggled to open her eyes. Everything was such a blur. "Where am I?"
"At my apartment. Don't worry, you're safe." Logan didn't want to leave her for even a second, but he needed Jondy or Devon.
"Look who woke up in time to join the party." Jondy walked into the room and smiled down at her sister. "It's about time. I was getting bored." She felt her sister's forehead. Her temperature had gone down. "You know if you wanted us to visit, all you had to do was call."
Max managed a weak smile. "You know I never do things the easy way." She ran her free hand across her face. "The last thing I remember is Original Cindy and I heading for work and Rafer offering us a lift in the ambulance. What did I miss?"
"Well you got that lift in the ambulance." Logan had flinched at the mention of Rafer's name. "Straight to Metro Medical. Original Cindy called me from the ambulance, I called Jondy from the car, then the hospital and Jondy called the others from Devon's car."
"Hey, look who's awake." Zane and Krit followed Syl into the room wheeling a hospital bed. "About time you woke up." Zane kicked the door closed behind him.
"Zane?" Max reached out and gave her brother a one armed hug. She looked over at the bed they had brought in. "Should I ask where you got that?"
Sly grinned mischieviously. "I found it on the way here. Thought it would be more comfortable." She glanced over her shoulder at her brothers. "Was I wrong?"
"God, I hope not." Krit helped Zane set up the bed beside the examination table. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get one of these out of a window?"
Bling brought a tray loaded with cups of coffee and a cup of tea for Jondy. "Hey Max. You sure have a funny way of organizing a family reunion." He put the tray down on a nearby table.
Jondy could see all the attention was wearing Max out. "O.k. let's move Max onto the proper bed so that she can get some rest." She gestured for her brother to grab the bottom sheet by a corner each at the end of the examination table. Syl took the top corner opposite of Jondy. Like a well oiled machine, the four X5's lifted together and carried Max and the blankets over to the hospital bed and gently put her down on it.
Krit could see his sister was falling asleep. "So does this mean we start the blood bank donations?"
Syl grinned. "If you need a fridge to store the blood then I know where to borrow one."
Devon shook his head and chuckled. "Go get it. We'll start with Jondy since it's one of the few things that make her sleep. Then Logan."
Zane looked over at Logan. "Has your blood been tested? I'm not trying to be difficult but is there a possibility that you could have contracted the virus as well?" He knew Jondy had intended to test Logan's blood but didn't think she had, had the time.
Logan nodded. "Jondy checked my blood last night to make sure it was safe to use." He looked over to see that Max had fallen asleep. "I'd never deliberately put any of your sisters in danger like that."
Zane put his arm around Jondy's shoulders but kept his sight on Logan. "So my baby sister tells me. I know what you did for her when she got shot. As she tells it, you're family."
Logan reached out and shook Zane's free hand. "You have no idea how much that means to me. Now let's get Max back on her feet." He rolled up his sleeves. "What do I have to do?"
Devon hooked Jondy up to transfer blood beside Max's bed. "Keep an eye on Jondy while she's giving blood. Syl can you go and get that fridge for us."
Syl nodded and headed for the door with Krit. "We'll be back soon."
A few minutes later Jondy had her head resting on her arms on the edge of Max's bed. Logan looked up to see Zane watching him. "Max does that. Falls asleep when she gives blood." He felt he needed to explain. "There are two people that might know of a cure. The first we don't even know if he's still alive."
"He would be the one Joshua is trying to track down. He calls him Father." Zane filled in the blanks for Logan. "Max told Jondy about Joshua and that he was looking for Father. She didn't tell her why."
Logan wasn't surprised that Max had kept Jondy mostly updated. "Lydecker helped me track down the second. Max actually had the cure in her hands but gave it to Alec. I guess he needed it more." It was one of the things he loved about Max, the fact she put others before herself.
"So close to being your average, ordinary, normal couple. Sort of like two steps forward and three steps back." Zane had been there before.
Krit and Syl came back in the room with a small beer fridge and plugged it in. Syl reached forward to pull Jondy up into a sitting position so that Devon could remove the tube from her arm. "Have you got enough equipment to do two of us at a time?" She held her sister up until Zane had picked Jondy up and carried her out to the sofa in the living room.
"Sure. Take a seat. I'll hook both you and Logan up." Devon had no idea if this was going to work and if it did for how long.
Krit could hear Asha moving around the apartment. "Has your friend asked any questions about the activities going on in this room yet?"
Logan shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't really been out of this room to be asked. You don't trust her either do you?" He could tell Zane hadn't trusted Asha on sight.
Krit smiled. "I don't know her and neither do my brother and sisters. That's never a good thing. Not for us at least."
Zane came back in the room. "Bling's watching Jondy." He chuckled. "I've seen that look he's giving her before."
Asha sat in an armchair opposite Bling who couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the sleeping redhead. "Who is she?"
Bling looked up briefly at Asha before resuming his watch on Jondy. "She's Max's sister. She and her brothers and sisters came into town for a family reunion of sorts. Don't ask too many questions Asha. They like their privacy."
Asha managed weak smile. "So I've noticed. Believe it or not I can understand the need to stay out of sight. It's safer the fewer people know what's going on with you the better." She looked towards the closed door that Logan was behind. "Let's face it though, some people you can't help but want to try and break through the brick wall they've built around themselves."
Jondy stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She stretched and looked around her. "Dog." The German Shepherd trotted over to her. "Want to go for a walk, I'm feeling a little cooped up." The German Shepherd nuzzled her hand in response. "Let's go then." She stood slowly. "Bling can you tell the others that we've gone for a walk."
Bling nodded. "Sure. Are you alright to go for a walk? You're not dizzy or anything?" He thought that she looked a little wobbly on her feet.
"I could use some fresh air myself. Why don't I go with you?" Asha offered. She felt better getting out from under Zane's eagle eye watching her, as if he could see right through her.
"Alright." Jondy didn't know who Asha was, but she wanted her away from her sister even if it was only for a few moments. "See Bling. No need to worry Asha will go with me."
"How do you know Logan?" Asha walked beside Jondy, amazed that the German Shepherd that forced it's way between them needed no lease. "You don't seem like an old girlfriend."
Jondy chuckled. "No, I'm not an old girlfriend. I'm the sister of a girlfriend." She could see Asha wasn't exactly thrilled at the news that Logan had someone in his life, so she decided to change the subject slightly. "You'll have to excuse Zane being so abrupt, he's just really protective of his sisters."
"So I've noticed." Asha appreciated the effort Jondy was making. "He seems a little more protective of you though."
Jondy nodded. "We all had a pretty rough childhood. I just seem to hook up with the wrong people all of time. The older I got the worse they got. Zane's always had a sixth sense about people, but unfortunately he's not always close by when I need to clear a prospective boyfriend past him."
Asha frowned slightly. "What about Devon? The two of you seem really close. What's the story there?"
Jondy couldn't help but laugh at her. "Devon's gay. I've known him since we were little. We share a place together, strictly separate bedrooms." Suddenly she reached out to stop Asha. "Hold on a minute." She looked around her. They were being followed, her feline eye sight could pick up at least five men dressed like the guards at the hospital were. All of them discreetly placed thinking they were out of sight.
Asha looked around her. "What's wrong?" She couldn't see anything to be concerned about. "What is it you see?"
"Trouble." Jondy quickly sent a text message over her mobile to warn the others. "Any idea why we're being followed." She walked towards a nearby convenience store.
"No." Asha followed Jondy. It seemed the best plan. "What makes you so sure that we're being followed?" She still couldn't see anything.
Jondy ran up to the guy behind the store counter. She had played this game at Manticore as a child. Faking sheer panic, she quickly read the name off of his name tag. "Dwan, you've got to help me. My boyfriend's gone crazy. He says he's going to kill my sister and me. He's even got his brothers dressed up like soldiers chasing us."
Dwan puffed out his chest and pulled himself up to his full height of five foot. "You ladies head out the back. I'll stall them for you."
Jondy smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much. I promise I'll make this up to you." She grabbed Asha hand and pulled her out the back of the store into an alley, the German Shepherd right beside her.
Asha could hear their pursers crashing through the store behind them. "Where the hell did they come from?"
Jondy pulled her behind an unlocked door. Jamming the lock with a key she had in her pocket and breaking it in the lock, she headed for the front of the building. "What I want to know is, are they after you or me?" She didn't miss the nervous look that crossed Asha's face.
"I don't know what you mean. Why would anyone be after me?" Asha had no idea what sort of trouble Logan's friends were in, but she was almost positive these people weren't after her. She was also having trouble keeping up with Jondy.
Jondy checked the way was clear before walking out of the building and heading back to Logan's. "The way I've got it figured, you're probably one of Logan's eyes only friends. If you're staying with him, you're probably running from something." Jondy looked Asha straight in the eye. "Of course those guys could work for the South Africans. In that case, it's me they want."
"Don't tell me." Asha marched into the lift behind Jondy. "You remind them of some South African goddess with your red hair and white as snow skin." She shot Jondy a sarcastic look.
Jondy looked at Asha suspiciously. "Exactly what drugs are you on? Or have you been reading way too many fairy tales before going to bed." The lift doors opened, glancing down the hallway she made her way to Logan's apartment. Picking the lock effortlessly, she stormed into the apartment. "Heads up boys and girls. We're about to get company." She found the others standing around a box of guns. "Ooh party favors."
Logan glared at Asha. "It seems Syl must be part bloodhound. Look at what she found stashed in my place. You don't happen know how they got there do you?"
Syl grabbed a gun and armed it. "Who cares. We've got visitors coming up the hallway." She tossed a gun to Bling. "You know how to use this?"
Bling nodded. "Do we know who we're up against? No offense, but I'd hate to shoot a girl guide selling cookies by accident."
Krit selected himself a gun. "Since when do girl guides come with fully automatic machine guns." He could hear the guns being armed outside the door.
"Take your positions." Zane shoved Asha ahead of him. "You don't mind if I keep an eye on you, do you Blondie."
"Fine with me." Asha glared at him. "Don't expect me to be impressed with your big gun though." She dropped her sarcasium when she saw Jondy, Krit and Syl leap up into the ceiling. "What the hell are you people?"
"Dangerous." Zane shoved his gun at her before picking her up and joining his siblings on the ceiling. "Hope you're not scared of heights."
Logan and Devon posted themselves inside the room that Max was resting in. Bling braced himself out of sight by the door. For a moment, there was silence. Then the door came crashing down. The familiar sight of Mathew came into view followed by the guards from the hospital. Allowing them to pass beneath the X5's in the ceiling, their movements were quick and silent. Zane dropped Asha into Bling's waiting arms, he grabbed the gun as he let her go.
The four X5's moved as one dropping onto the guards and redending them unconscious within seconds. Logan and Bling moved to join them as Mathew turned around and found much to his amazement that his entire team was down.
Jondy glared at Mathew. "I suppose I should have know it was you. You just don't take rejection well do you Mathew. I'm surprised the South Africans haven't killed you yet. After all, you have lost me twice."
Zane looked Mathew up and down. "This is Mathew?" He was not impressed. "Why on earth would you think someone as classy as my sister, would ever be interested in you?" He looked Mathew in the eye. "You're beneath her."
Mathew grinned. "Yeah well I'm not fussy. Beneath me, above me whatever position she chooses. Can she bring the handcuffs though?" The smile soon slid off his face when Zane's fist hit his face and everything went blank.
Asha's jaw was practically hitting the ground. "Why couldn't I have had a brother like you?" When everyone turned to look at her she shrugged her shoulders. "What? I've always fought my own fights. I'm just saying it would have been nice to have some help."
Syl knelt beside Mathew, who was out cold. "What are we going to with him? Cause I can think of something that could be fun." She looked up the others, a grin on her face.
Matt marched the guards into the police station and up to the desk sergeant. "Book these guys in for an extended stay. Caught them breaking into one of the high rise apartments." As he walked away he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Last thing he had seen before leaving Logan's apartment was Krit, Syl and Zane climbing up the outside of the building like giant cats. "Talk about extreme sports." He muttered as he went to call Logan.
Mathew could feel the breeze drift over his face as he opened his eyes and his vision cleared, he realized that he was tied up and floating beside the apartment building. Scared speechless he looked around him for a way out.
"About time you woke up, I was getting bored." Syl was perched on the edge of the building looking down at him. "Hey, can you fly?" She motioned to her brothers to loosen the rope slightly.
Mathew felt himself start to drop. "No!" Then he stopped. "What is it with you Physco chicks? What? You find me a huge turn on or something?"
The window next to him opened and Jondy stuck her head out and looked upwards. "Krit, Zane! I need you to go and pick up someone for me." She gave Mathew a shove out of the way. "Now!" She shut the window as Mathew came swinging back towards it.
Logan stared out the window watching Mathew swing back and forth. "How long are you going to leave him out there?" He looked up at Jondy who was about to connect the last bag of blood up. The one Logan had donated.
Jondy stopped to glance out the window. "Syl needs a toy to play with. When she gets bored we'll bring him back in." She smiled down at Logan. Her smile turned to a frown. "I've been meaning to ask you, what's with the gloves? Are you cold or something?"
Logan was surprised that Jondy didn't know. "The virus Manticore gave Max, it's designed to react with my DNA. I thought you knew. Isn't that one of the tests you did on my blood?"
"Hell." Jondy quickly unhooked the bag before any of the blood could transfuse into Max. She pulled a chair up beside him. "Max didn't even tell me she was sick. The first I knew was when you got me on the phone the other morning. Exactly what do you know about this virus?"
"Not much." It suddenly hit him that he could have inadvertedly killed Max if Jondy hadn't asked him about the gloves. "It's designed to react with my DNA to kill me. I guess 'eyes only' pushed too many buttons at Manticore."
"Making it impossible for the two of you to touch. Which means the implant in Max's head is also have a reaction to virus as well." Jondy felt the pieces fall into place. "Logan, did Max end up back at Manticore after I got back to San Francisco?"
Logan nodded. "I guess she didn't want to worry you. I thought you might have picked up that something was wrong when you saw all of the 'Eyes Only' broadcasts speaking out against Manticore. When there was no sign of you, I figured you were staying away because of Mathew. That way you were keeping him away from Max as well."
Jondy placed her head in her hands. "I never saw the broadcasts. When I didn't hear from Max for a while I thought it was because the two of you were so wrapped up in each other that she didn't have time to call." She looked up as Zane and Krit came in the room. "I need you to get Lydecker for me."
Zane looked at Jondy as if she had gone mad. "Why on earth would you want him anywhere near you or Max?"
Jondy pushed her hair off of her face. "There's something different about Max to the rest of us. My bet is he knows what it is." She looked up at her brothers. "I want that information."
Krit knew that look of grim determination, Jondy had on her face. He had seen it before on Max's. "Come on Zane. Let's go catch us a rat."
Devon walked in as Krit and Zane walked out. "I guess Syl's still playing with her new toy." At that moment Mathew swung past the window. "Yep. There he goes again." Then he noticed the look on Jondy's face. "What's wrong?" He checked the monitors that Max was connected up to. If anything she appeared to be getting better. "Where are Krit and Zane going?"
"To get Lydecker." Logan could see Devon's concern for Jondy was genuine. "Max seems to have forgotten to fill Jondy in on a few details concerning for virus. We're hoping Lydecker can fill a few more of the blanks in."
"Want to fill the blanks in for me while we wait?" Devon squatted down in front of Jondy. "I can't fix this for you if I don't know." He stretched out his arms. He could fix just about anything with a hug with Jondy. She never stayed down for long.
Jondy lent forward into his hug. This was where she felt safe. No one could hurt her or use her when Devon hugged her. "I'll tell you while you make me a cup of tea." She stood and walked out of the room taking Devon with her.
Max stirred and opened her eyes. "You're still here?" She was surprised to see him sitting beside her still. "Where's Jondy?"
"In the kitchen with Devon." Logan couldn't believe that Max didn't expect him to be there. "You seem to have forgotten to tell her a few things, like you were sick. Did you think you were protecting her or something?"
Max nodded. "Something like that." She frowned as she saw Mathew swing past the window. "I think I may be delusional cause there's someone flying outside the window."
Jondy came back into the room with Devon. Walking over to the window she leaned out again. "Syl, we made you a cup of coffee. Have you finished with your new toy." A muffled reply came back. Grabbing Mathew by the collar she pulled him closer. "If I find you anywhere near my family or me, I'll let Zane use you as a play toy." She grinned at him. "He like yoyo's." She allowed him a moment to absorb the meaning behind what she was saying before signaling Syl.
"What's that all about?" Max allowed Devon to adjust the bed so she could sit up. "What have I missed?"
"Just your family's unique way of bonding with the outside world." Logan felt useless. The best he could do is be supportive. "How are you feeling?"
Max took a deep breath. "Better. Like I caught up on all of the sleep I've missed out on over the years." She saw she was connected up to various tubes and machines. "Maybe you guys should tell me how I am."
Devon checked the various monitors. "You're doing much better. You should be back up on your feet in no time." He looked up as Syl walked into the room. "What did you do with Mathew?"
Syl shrugged her shoulders. "Last I saw of him, he was heading out of town. Guess the prospect of Zane using him as a yoyo didn't appeal to him."
Max could feel Jondy and Logan watching her. Looking up at her sister, she saw the hurt in her eyes that Max hadn't told her the whole story. The look of despair on Logan's face didn't make her feel much better. "I'm better, but I'm not cured though, am I?"
Jondy shook her head. "No. Logan's given me a bit more information to work with though. We've brought ourselves some extra time to find a cure. In the meantime we can all start looking for this Father guy and anyone else who might have a cure."
Zane and Krit stormed back in the room with Lydecker between them and Original Cindy behind them. As before the German Shepherd sat guarding the door.
Original Cindy strolled past the guys and went to hug Max. "Sister girl, you have seriously wack siblings. Glad they turned up though, cause you seriously freaked me out when you collapsed. Don't ever do that again."
"You have a big problem heading your way." Lydecker had guessed Jondy was back in town when he heard the South Africans had people guarding a room at Metro Medical. "The South Africans know you're in town. I hear you took their first team out, they'll be organizing a second."
"Which means we've gotta split up again and get out of Seattle, especially Jondy." Krit glanced over at his sister. "You and Devon can find Max's cure from home."
"I'm not leaving." A look of grim determination was written all over her face. "None of us wants a repeat of this week."
Zane knew where Jondy was coming from, but putting herself in danger wasn't going to help Max. "You've gotta go home, little sister. From what I hear, if the South Africans get a hold of you, you're not going to be able to help Max."
Bling had come in the room and caught the last part of their conversation. "You can check in with Max and Original Cindy each night if you're worried about Max collapsing again. If you think they're not giving you the whole picture, then phone here."
Max swung her legs over the side of the bed so that she was sitting completely upright. "I swear I'll tell you everything. Jondy I don't want you to end up dead or in a cage because of me."
Jondy knew they were right. Glaring at Lydecker she nodded in agreement to leaving. "You've got five minutes to tell me what you know about Max's DNA. Make it quick, I have to leave Seattle."
The entire room breathed a sigh of relief. Lydecker handed her a file. "I don't know what the virus is made up of but everything you need to know about Max's DNA structure should be in there." He couldn't help but be proud of the way his kids worked as a team.
Syl grabbed her gear and Lydecker's arm. 'Come on. I'll drop you off on the way out of town." She stopped briefly to hug her brothers and sisters good bye.
Krit followed Syl's lead. "Take care of my sister, Devon." He grinned at his sister's friend. "It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it." He waved good bye and followed Syl out the door.
Zane hugged Max good bye and then pulled Jondy into a hug. "Will you please try and stay out of trouble Jondy? You know how to get hold of me if you need me." He reached out and shook Logan's hand. "Max has got a lot of people looking out for her. We'll find a cure between us." He waved to Original Cindy. "Thanks for the place to stay Cindy." He headed for the door where Bling was standing. "She'll work out you're the one for her sooner or later." He hadn't missed the looks Bling was giving Jondy. He slapped Bling on the back. "Patience is a virtue with that one." He walked through the door whistling for his dog. "See ya Devon." He yelled back over his shoulder.
Logan watched Devon and Jondy check Max's vitals and the monitors she was connected up to. "Not that I don't want Max here, but wouldn't it be safer if we moved her back to her own home?" More than anything Logan wanted to keep Max close by where he could see her. Lydecker was right though. A second team would be sent and they wouldn't be picky about which X5 they got hold of. Chances were, they would know where the first team were heading when they disappeared.
Original Cindy had come to know Logan well enough to know he would never want Max out of his apartment if there wasn't a good reason. "I'll watch Sister Girl's back. Just tell me what I need to know."
Devon hastily wrote out a list of instructions for Original Cindy. "Max heals pretty fast so these are probably just a precaution. Any problems, you know how to get hold of us."
Original Cindy nodded. "Don't worry. We'll manage just fine and I promise I'll call if Max even sniffs funny." She hugged Devon and then Jondy. "Have a safe trip back. Make sure you call us when you get home."
Max stood up and hugged Jondy. "Thanks for coming to help me."
"What else would I have been doing?" Jondy mumbled. 'You can't keep things like this to yourself Max. They get one of us, they get all of us." She took a step back. "You remember that."
Max was pretty close to tears. "I will. Next time we have a family reunion I'll try and be conscious. Try not to get shot too often, Ok."
Jondy giggled. "Yeah, I've really got to remember to dodge those bullets." Her expression turned serious. "You call us anytime, no matter what. You know I'm usually awake."
"You'd better get going." Bling was worried solders could break down the door at any moment. "I'll take Max and Original Cindy home." He was still standing by the door, not wanting to intrude on the family good bye.
Devon nodded and shook Logan's hand. "Take care. We'll call as soon as we find a cure." He could see the hope Logan was keeping carefully hidden under the surface. "Don't give up on her. These X5 women are entirely too stubborn and self reliant for their own good." He went to get his and Jondy's bags.
Max had already unhooked herself from the tubes and monitors and was walking a little shaky, but without any help. "You know one day we'll get the timing right and have a regular normal visit."
"Yeah but after the first few normal visits, that's just going to get boring." Jondy teased. She hugged her sister again. "I can be here in a couple of hours. I'm only a phone call away." She let go and hugged Original Cindy, then moved on to Logan. "We'll find a way to make this right, I promise."
Logan smiled gratefully. "I know you will I'll let you know if we find anything out this end. No secrets."
Jondy agreed as she glanced towards the door. "You might want to stress the no secrets rule with your old friend, Asha." She looked back at Logan. "Maybe it's just because I'm always running that I don't trust her. She's definitely hiding something Logan. Call it feline intuition if you want, but don't leave it too late to find out what she's running from."
"Jondy. Time to go." Devon's voice rang out from the living room. "You're driving. We'll get past the Sector Police easier."
Bling chuckled. "See you're not just a pretty face." He hugged Jondy good bye as well.
"No she's a great pair of legs as well." Devon reached in the door and pulled Jondy out of the room in a hurry to get back on the road.
"Bye." Jondy managed to get out before Devon dragged her out of the apartment before she could stall any longer.
Bling gestured to Original Cindy. "Help me find the keys to the van?" He wanted to give Max and Logan a moment alone.
"Sure." Original Cindy caught on immediately to what Bling was doing. "men. They can't find anything around the house."
Max and Logan watched them go into the next room. Max looked over at Logan and they both burst out laughing. "Subtle aren't they?"
"Very." Logan agreed. He because serious. "You scared the hell out of me you know. I may not be able to touch you, but it doesn't mean I've stopped caring."
Max could hear Asha moving around in the next room. Logan deserved someone who wouldn't get him killed. She couldn't help but feel guilty that caring about him could do exactly that. "Maybe you shouldn't. I can't guarantee any of us will find a cure for this virus and why should you wait around on the off chance we can."
Logan reached out to Max, but then remembered he shouldn't and stopped. He wanted so badly to comfort her, all he could do was use words. "You know, I haven't know your sister for long. Something I've found out about Jondy is that when she makes a promise, she moves Heaven and Earth to keep it."
Max smiled sadly. "I know." She remembered the promise she had made to Tinga's son. "Sometimes there are promises you just can't keep." She turned and walked out of the room to find Bling and Original Cindy.
"I have to believe Jondy will keep this one." Logan spoke more to himself than anything, but he saw Max hesitate as she walked out his front door and knew she had heard him.
Asha watched Logan staring out of the window into the darkness. He had been doing that a lot since his friends had left a couple of days ago. "What is it you see when you stare out that window?"
Logan turned and smiled. "Promise. Hope." He wandered over and sat opposite Asha on the sofa. "Who knows what tomorrow will bring." It was then he saw the envelope on the coffee table with his name on it. Frowning he opened it to find cash inside and a note that just had the word 'RENT' on it.
"The eternal optimist aren't you?" Asha smiled back at him. She couldn't see what was in the envelope. "You always were. Unusual friends you have these days, not to mention very attractive." She teased.
Logan tried to hold back the smirk threatening to cross his face. "Yeah. I think it's in the family genes." Before Asha could ask anymore questions the phone rang. Logan picked it up quickly before Bling could answer it the other room. "Hey Cindy."
"Hi Logan. Thought I'd let you know Devon phoned to let us know they got back to San Francisco safely and the others have checked in as well." Original Cindy chuckled as she recalled what Devon had told them, they had discovered on returning home. "Here's some news Bling might be interested in. Jondy and Devon get back to their crib and Jondy walks into her room to find the guy she's been dating, Gavin I think Devon said his name was. She caught him doing the wild thing with another woman in her bed. It turns out, Sister Girl's got a temper to match that red hair of hers. Gavin was last see hanging by his ankles from the Golden Gate Bridge completely naked."
Logan burst out laughing. "I always thought Jondy was too quiet. They say you have to watch the quiet ones."
Original Cindy knew what he meant. "Well, Sister Girl certainly found her inner bitch. Gotta go. Said I'd have dinner ready when Max get back. She needed a bit of space and fresh air."
Perched on her usual seat on the Space Needle, Max wondered who would get to her first. Her money was on Jondy. Nobody was as determined as her sister. She didn't even know if Father Sandman was still alive. The real question was, would the virus beat them all and get to her and Logan first.
Around America the other X5's were wondering the same thing. Jondy on top of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Krit on top of the Empire State Building in New York. Syl on top of one of the Casinos in Las Vegas and Zane on top of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.
It was just one more thing for them to search for. One more hope for a brighter tomorrow, together.
THE END
